Communications cables, such as shielded and unshielded twisted pair cables, coaxial cables, and fiber optic cables, transmit data, voice, video and/or audio information in the telecommunications industry. Network equipment enclosure rack systems are well-known in this industry for managing and organizing such cables as they are routed to and from various destinations.
Rack systems typically include a distribution frame rack on which one or more patch panels, network equipment, fiber optic enclosures and the like are mounted. Rack systems serve various functions, including their use as slack trays, splice trays, cable organizers and patch panels. These rack systems also serve as interconnect or cross-connect enclosures when they interface with equipment. Additionally, rack systems may serve as a telecommunications closet, allowing the cables to be terminated, spliced, patched and/or stored at various places along their length.
The rack is usually formed from a frame having mounting apertures located along the vertical legs or walls of the rack. Patching equipment, such as a patch panel, is mounted onto the rack so as to generally define a patching side, where patch cords from another active device or another patch panel can be cross-connected and interconnected, and a distribution side, where cables from network equipment and/or work station areas are terminated.
Generally, some structures or feature for cable management are provided on both sides of the rack to support and route the cables. With the increasing use of fiber optic connectors as applied to connector rack systems, proper cable management and bend radius control has become increasingly important. Many known systems are unable to provide complete bend radius control, are inefficient, are difficult to manufacture, are difficult to manage and access, and/or have other drawbacks.
One proposed improvement to patch panel design is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,541 to Barker et al. This patent describes a patch panel that defines generally a shallow V-shape (rather than being flat or planar), such that the vertex of the “V” protrudes in front of the rack to which it is mounted. Jacks mounted in the patch panel are mounted flush with the patch panel surfaces so that they are oriented to face outwardly as well as forwardly. Consequently, both plug insertion and cord management may be simplified. One shortcoming of this design is that the extension of the patch panel forwardly of the rack may require additional space.